[tex-live] [tlpmgui] Re: [tlpmgui] tlpmgui starts in the wrong mode under Win32

[Dirk Ullrich]

2007/2/4, Karl Berry <karl at freefriends.org>:
STASZEK>     Well, tlpmgui v. 1.69 introduces --install-mode option to force
>
> Thanks.
>
STASZEK>     we have to think about ordinary, not so advanced users and
STASZEK>     they rarely have many TeX installations.
>
> It seems to me the new option is helpful *exactly* for the ordinary users
> who already have some version of TeX installed.  This way, they can try
> out the new version without uninstalling the old one.
> --install_mode is a lot less obscure way of doing that than something
> like "rename c:\myoldtex\bin\win32\tex c:\myoldtex\bin\win32\tex.skip",
> which seemed like the only available workaround.
>
> I understand that the installer will change PATH and environment
> variables, so it's not seamless to get back to the existing system after
> the new installation.  But at least it is possible.
>
> Thanks again,
> Karl
>
Thank you very much, too, Staszek, for the "--install-mode" option for tlpmgui!

I understand and accept the argument that an ordinary Windows user
want things to be preconfigured in a way he have only to start the
setup program and get the stuff smoothly installed. To ease many
things for non-expert users seems a feature of Windows (ans some Linux
distributions) attracting many non-geek users. But there are at least
2 things of the strategy puzzling me:
(1)
You are in big trouble when something does _not_ automagically work.
Either things are done very easily or can not be done at all.
(2)
The easy-use-strategy seems to tend to exclude more experienced users.
This was my main point in the discussion here. I do not see any
compelling reason why ease for more unexperienced or 'lazy' users does
necessarily  conflict which the _possibility_ to customize all
parameters _on my own risk_. The more I work with some tool the more I
tend shape my preferences concerning this tool. Thus in this way my
desire to customize aspects of the tool accordingly.
(And TeX is such a tool for me.) This seems an important point I miss
in many usability discussions.

At the moment I am about to test the new tlpmgui (vers. 1.72) under
Win32. When finished I will post a report.

Thanks again, Staszek
Dirk